U.S. Code » Title 46 » Subtitle Subtitle II— Vessels and Seamen › Part Part B— Inspection and Regulation of Vessels › Chapter CHAPTER 35— CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS

46 U.S.C. § 3501

Number of passengers

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(a) Each certificate of inspection issued to a vessel carrying passengers (except a ferry) shall include a statement on the number of passengers that the vessel is permitted to carry.(b) The owner, charterer, managing operator, agent, master, or individual in charge of a vessel is liable to a person suing them for carrying more passengers than the number of passengers permitted by the certificate of inspection in an amount equal to—(1) passage money; and(2) $100 for each passenger in excess of the number of passengers permitted.(c) An owner, charterer, managing operator, agent, master, or individual in charge of a vessel that knowingly carries more passengers than the number of passengers permitted by the certificate of inspection also shall be fined not more than $100, imprisoned for not more than 30 days, or both.(d) The vessel also is liable in rem for a penalty under this section.(e) An offshore supply vessel may not carry passengers except in an emergency.(Pub. L. 98–89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 519; Pub. L. 99–36, § 1(a)(2), May 15, 1985, 99 Stat. 67.)

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised section

Source section (U.S. Code)

3501

46:404–1

46:451

46:452

46:462

Section 3501 requires that a vessel carrying passengers, including a passenger vessel as well as a small passenger vessel (except a ferry), shall have on the certificate of inspection a statement as to the number of passengers the vessel is permitted to carry. It also provides penalties for carrying passengers in excess of the number permitted.

Editorial NotesAmendments

1985—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 99–36, § 1(a)(2)(A), struck out the comma after “(except a ferry)”.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 99–36, § 1(a)(2)(B), substituted “carries more passengers than the number of passengers permitted by the certificate of inspection” for “violates subsection (b) of this section”.

Statutory Notes and Related SubsidiariesEffective Date

Chapter effective Apr. 15, 1984, see section 2(g)(1) of Pub. L. 98–89, set out as a note under section 3101 of this title.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 2 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 2006–2026 · leading case: Isbell v. Carnival Corp., 462 F. Supp. 2d 1232 (S.D. Fla. 2006).
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Isbell v. Carnival Corp., 462 F. Supp. 2d 1232 (S.D. Fla. 2006). “Plaintiff brings this action for negligence under the General Maritime Law of the United States, the Passenger Vessel Act, 46 U.S.C. § 3501 et seq. Plaintiff alleges that Defendant was negligent by failing to warn of a dangerous condition and as a result, Plaintiff was bitten by…”
In the Matter of the Complaint of John Rogers & Nancy Laporta Rogers, as Owners of 2002 22’ Angler Vessel (HIN: ANGG00 (N.D.N.Y. 2026). “INTRODUCTION Petitioners John Rogers and Nancy Laporta Rogers, (“Petitioners”) as owners of a 2022 Angler Vessel, commenced this action for exoneration and limitation of liability pursuant to the Limitation of Liability Act, Title 46 U.S.C. § 3501 , and Supplemental Rule F of…”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.